Initially US Navy-funded, the expendable Coyote is 0.91m (3ft) long, has a 1.47m wingspan and weighs 5.9kg (13lb), including a 0.9kg maximum payload. Sonobuoy-deployed from up to 20,000ft, the Coyote emerges from its casing in freefall, unfolds its wing and stabilises for a 60kt (111km/h) cruise speed. The goal is for 1h endurance at 60kt, and battery improvements could see a 50% increase.

A meteorological sensor is being developed for the NOAA, while the USN variant uses an infrared or electro-optical package for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Last year's NOAA-enabled flight was a demonstration for the agency, which wants the Coyote for hurricane and tropical storm research. Deployed from its Lockheed WP-3D Orion fleet, the Coyote could fly a pre-programmed course, but also has the capacity for line-of-sight operation from the release aircraft.

Originally developed by Arizona based-Advanced Ceramics Research (ACR), an earlier version of the Coyote was first launched from a Beechcraft C-12 Huron in 2007. Plans for a third quarter 2008 launch from a USN P-3 were cancelled, with repeated aircraft availability problems ending test hopes. BAE bought ACR in 2009.